


Into the Night

by Tea_For_One_Please



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Genre: Angst, Basically everything is the same except no spideychelle, Bisexual Peter Parker, Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay Harley Keener, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, Spider-Man: Far From Home (Movie) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 16:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19976755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_For_One_Please/pseuds/Tea_For_One_Please
Summary: Harley's phone buzzes on his nightstand. He snatches it up and unlocks it. "Come on, come on," he murmurs, hoping for a message from Peter. Despite having started at Midtown High, he didn't go on the trip with Peter and the others, but unsurprisingly, America saw the reports of the chaos in Venice, and then in Prague, and finally in London. To say that he's worried about Peter is rather an understatement.





	Into the Night

The rain beats against the window of Harley's studio apartment south of Brooklyn. Somewhere in the distance he can hear the faint echo of thunder - probably over Long Island, he thinks, as he cocks an ear to listen. Hardly cause for concern.

He's quite content with his new life - not that it's been an easy adjustment. When he had Blipped back, he spent weeks searching for his mother and sister. Their names, unlike his, were not on the lists of the Vanished, but rather on the much smaller list of the Collateral, as they were rather bluntly known - people who hadn't Vanished, but who had been hurt as a result. Passengers on public transport whose drivers or pilots had Vanished were the most common, and Harley would eventually discover that this was what happened to his mother and Abbie.

Heartbroken, he travelled to New York, in an attempt to find the man who had broken into his garage one night ten years prior. Since then, although their contact wasn't constant, he heard from Tony Stark every few months, and Harley started to see him as a mentor. It was during this time that he also met (and eventually started a relationship with) Peter Parker - known to very few as Spider-Man. When he arrived at the Avengers' Tower, Peter saw him walk in, and dropped the mug of coffee he had been holding. He sprinted across the room and nearly knocked Harley over with the force of his hug. He buried his face in his shoulder, and Harley could feel him sobbing. "Thank God," was all he could say. Tears formed in Harley's eyes too, and he breathed in Peter's scent, relief washing over him. He was here, he was alright. When Peter pulled back, Harley leaned down and kissed him.

"Yes," he whispered. "Thank God." Peter wrapped his arms around him again and Harley looked over his shoulder, where Pepper had just entered, holding a small girl with dark hair by the hand. "Is Tony here?" Harley asked. Pepper bit her lip and shook her head, and just like that, Harley understood.

His phone buzzes on his nightstand. He snatches it up and unlocks it. "Come on, come on," he murmurs, hoping for a message from Peter. Despite having started at Midtown High, he didn't go on the trip with Peter and the others, but unsurprisingly, America saw the reports of the chaos in Venice, and then in Prague, and finally in London. To say that he's worried about Peter is rather an understatement.

It isn't a message from Peter, to his frustration. It's a weather alert, warning people not to go onto the roofs of their apartment buildings because of the electrical storms. As if Harley needs telling. A sudden, urgent, _tap-tap-tap_ on his window startles him, and he lets out a yell of alarm, nearly dropping his phone. After all, he is fourteen stories up; there should not be anything knocking on his window. He glances through the glass, squinting past the raindrops. He sees two white pointed circles and realises who it is. "Shit," he gasps and thrusts the window upwards, and a figure dressed in black tumbles through.

"Peter?" he says, suddenly unsure. "The hell are you wearing?"

"Stealth suit," Peter pants, "didn't want... to be seen." He stands up and pulls off the mask, his usually neat curls damp and in total disarray. He wraps his arms around Harley. "Nick Fury made it for me."

"Wait, did you wear this in Prague?" Harley asks, recognition dawning. Peter flinches, and Harley instantly feels guilty. "Sorry."

"Yes, I did," Peter says, dismissing the apology.

"You're the Night-Monkey?" Peter fixes him with a look.

"Not the time, Harls." He runs a hand through his hair, which causes a bead of moisture to drip onto his neck, making him shiver. Harley snaps to attention.

"Get that thing off, you'll freeze," he says, turning to the wardrobe and pulling out a t-shirt, sweats and a hoodie, before reaching into a drawer and passing over some underwear and a pair of socks. Peter smiles gratefully and starts to take off the soaked suit. When he goes to take off his drenched underwear, Harley pointedly looks away and starts boiling some water to make him tea.

"You've heard, I assume?" Peter says from behind him, a little hesitantly.

"I've heard," Harley says shortly. "I don't believe it." Peter's silence betrays his confusion. "That you set drones on civilians, that is."

"Oh," says Peter. "No, I didn't."

"So what was that footage?"

"I was executing cancellation procedures," says Peter. Harley hears that he's stopped moving around, so turns towards him. He's dressed, and is curled up on Harley's bed, but sits up when Harley gives him his tea and perches at the other end of the bed, watching him intently.

"Trust the Bugle to take your words out of context," says Harley bitterly.

"It was Beck more than the Bugle," Peter muses, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Unsure what to say, Harley lets silence fall for a moment.

"Do you want to stay tonight?" Harley asks tentatively. Peter is shaken out of his reverie and looks him in the eye.

"No," he says, and his seriousness scares Harley a little. Even when Peter's hurting and broken, there's always a sparkle of hopeful joy in his eyes. It was one of the first things that Harley noticed about him. Now though, his eyes are tired, sad, and dull - devoid of any hope. Harley's heart aches for his boyfriend, and he's still searching for words when Peter speaks again.

"In fact," he says, putting the tea down and folding his hands together, "I came to say goodbye."

"What? Why?"

"I can't stay," he says. "The whole of New York, hell, most of America is looking for me. I've got to get out of here. Pepper and Happy are working to clear me, but until then..." He shakes his head. "Peter Parker - Spider-Man - has to disappear." Harley feels a lump rising in his throat.

"I'll go with you," he says suddenly, and Peter smiles sadly.

"I wish you could, but the fact that we never told anyone about... us," he says, "is the only thing keeping you safe." He stands up, and Harley follows.

"All the more reason," he says. "The whole world knows your name now, and what you look like. But no one suspects me. With your connections and my anonymity, we can get you out of New York and well-hidden until your name's cleared." Peter's silent, clearly chewing it over.

"It could be dangerous," he says, and Harley realises he's won. He closes the gap between them and takes his hand.

"That's what always made it fun," he says with a grin, and a smile creeps across Peter's face.

In less than ten minutes, they pile as much as they can into Harley's suitcase and slip out of the apartment. They stand in the lobby for a moment, looking out at the stormy night. "Come on, Night-Monkey," Harley says, taking his hand again. "Time to disappear."


End file.
